Isaiah 9

1 Nevertheless the darkness shall not be as when the distress was in the [land], at the time he at first lightly, and afterwards heavily, visited the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, — the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:

For [there will be] no gloom on her who [is] distressed as at the former time. The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, So the latter has honored the way of the sea, Beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them light hath shone.

The people who are walking in darkness Have seen a great light, Dwellers in a land of death-shade, Light has shone on them.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, hast increased its joy: they joy before thee like to the joy in harvest; as [men] rejoice when they divide the spoil.

You have multiplied the nation, You have made its joy great, They have rejoiced before You as the joy in harvest, As [men] rejoice in their apportioning spoil.

4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

Because the yoke of its burden, And the staff of its shoulder, the rod of its exactor, You have broken as [in] the day of Midian.

5 For every boot of him that is shod for the tumult, and the garment rolled in blood, shall be for burning, fuel for fire.

For every battle of a warrior [is] with rushing, and raiment rolled in blood, And it has been for burning—fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

For a Child has been born to us, A Son has been given to us, And the dominion is on His shoulder, And He calls His Name Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.

Of the increase of [His] dominion, And of peace, there is no end, On the throne of David, and on His kingdom, To establish it, and to support it, In judgment and in righteousness, From now on, even for all time, The zeal of YHWH of Hosts does this.

8 The Lord sent a word unto Jacob, and it lighteth upon Israel.

The Lord has sent a word into Jacob, And it has fallen in Israel.

9 And all the people shall know [it], Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and stoutness of heart,

And the people have known—all of it, Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, In pride and in greatness of heart, saying,

10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.

“Bricks have fallen, and we build hewn work, Sycamores have been cut down, and we renew cedars.”

11 And Jehovah will set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and arm his enemies,

And YHWH sets the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And he joins his enemies together,

12 the Syrians on the east, and the Philistines on the west; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this His anger has not turned back, And His hand is still stretched out.

13 But the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, and they do not seek Jehovah of hosts.

And the people has not turned back to Him who is striking it, And they have not sought YHWH of Hosts.

14 And Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day:

And YHWH cuts off head and tail from Israel, Branch and reed—the same day.

15 the ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Elderly and accepted of faces—he [is] the head, And prophet teaching falsehood—he [is] the tail.

16 For the guides of this people mislead [them]; and they that are guided by them are swallowed up.

And the eulogists of this people are causing to err, And its eulogized ones are consumed.

17 Therefore the Lord will not rejoice in their young men, neither will he have mercy on their fatherless and on their widows; for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

Therefore, the Lord does not rejoice over its young men, And He does not pity its orphans and its widows, For everyone [is] profane, and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this His anger has not turned back, And His hand is still stretched out.

18 For wickedness burneth as a fire: it devoureth briars and thorns, and kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they go rolling up like a pillar of smoke.

For wickedness has burned as a fire, It devours brier and thorn, And it kindles in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

19 Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burned up, and the people is as fuel for fire: a man spareth not his brother;

In the wrath of YHWH of Hosts The land has been consumed, And the people is as fuel of fire; A man has no pity on his brother,

20 and he snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry, and eateth on the left hand; and they are not satisfied. They eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

And cuts down on the right, and has been hungry, And he devours on the left, And they have not been satisfied, They each devour the flesh of his own arm.

21 Manasseh, Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh; [and] they together are against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

Manasseh—Ephraim, and Ephraim—Manasseh, Together they [are] against Judah, With all this His anger has not turned back. And His hand is still stretched out!